System for laterally maneuvering a watercraft hull

ABSTRACT

A reversely operated pump is medially located between the sides of a hull in open-ended duct means located below the waterline through which water flows in either direction. Closely adjacent the orifices of said duct means is a jet nozzle to emit a reaction jet of water substantially horizontally outward of the hull. The nozzles are mounted to move upon the occurrence of waterflow relative thereto. At such time one nozzle is in an operative position and restricts outward flow of water through its respective duct orifice while the other is in a nonrestricting position.

United States mm [72] Inventors Euvon (j. Cooper 1460 McLean Road, MountVernon. \v'isish 98273;

Thomas D. Perry, M25 ountry Club Drive, Burlington, Wash. @8233 [2|]Appl. No. 853,887

[22] Filed Aug. 28, 1969 [45] Patented July 20, 197i [54] SYSTEM FORLATERALLY MANEUVERING A WATERCRAFT HULL 4 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs.

[52] U.S.Cl 114/151, 239/265. 1 9 [51] Int. Cl 563i] 25/46 [50] Field ofSearch 114/151; 239/265.19

[Sol References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,251 ,l85 5/1966 Aschauerll4/l5l X 3.424,l2l 1/1969 Thomasetal. 114/15] FOREIGN PATENTS 427,75411/1947 Italy 1l4/l5l Primary Examiner-Andrew H. Farrell A!t0rney-F0rdE, Smith STRACT: A reversely operated pump is medially located betweenthe sides of a hull in open-ended duct means located below the waterlinethrough which water flows in either direction. Closely adjacent theorifices of said duct means is a jet nozzle to emit a reaction jet ofwater substantially horizontally outward of the hull. The nozzles aremounted to move upon the occurrence of waterflow relative thereto. Atsuch time one nozzle is in an operative position and restricts outwardflow of water through its respective duct orifice while the other is ina nonrestricting position.

WEI-v PATENIEU JUL 20 an D PEFPV AffdF/Vfy SYSTEM FOR LATERALLYMANIEIJVERIINIG A WATERCRAFT HULL SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Thisapparatus is primarily designed for maneuvering a watercraft hull andthe like. It will be apparent that the invention will have numerousapplications. In a boat hull, an openended fluid duct is provided toextend between opposite sides of the hull. Closely adjacent each end andorifice of such duct means is ajet nozzle. Each of said nozzles ismounted to move between operative and inoperative positions dependingupon the direction of flow outward or inward relative either of thenozzles. In the hull a reversely operable pump is located in the ductmeans between the orifices. The pump is powered by reversible means.When the pump is operated in either direction water is drawn inward fromone side of the hull and is expelled outward from the other side. Theindrawn water enters the duct system without material restriction.However, the pressurized flow of water passing through the duct systemencounters a restricted orifice at the discharge end of the duct system,and ajetstream or reaction jet of water is produced in close proximityto the duct system orifice. This jetstream of water discharged into thebody of water in which the hull is floating produces a reaction movementin the form of lateral thrust force on the hull. This is particularlyuseful in steering or maneuvering the hull on various occasions of whichdocking or drawing away from a dock are typical occasions.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a plan view ofa hull equipped withthis invention, portions being broken away for convenience ofillustration;

FIG. 2 is a cross section view taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged side view of the pump and drive apparatus of FIG.2; and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged detail of an orifice assembly.

DESCRIPTION In the accompanying drawing is shown, for illustrativepurposes a form of the invention as it might be applied to a small boatof the runabout or the outboard type. It will be apparent to thoseskilled in the art that this invention is applicable to numerous typesand sizes of hulls through the employment of this invention making, asrequired or desired, alterations in size, means and proportions. Thescope of this invention is defined and set forth in the subjoinedclaims.

Referring specifically to the drawing, hull I is illustratively providedwith a pair of outboard motors at the rear for its normal propulsionover the water. Such motors are steerable and thus, particularly whenthe hull is moving forward, direct the course of the hull as theoperator requires. Of course, the hull may also be equipped with arudder or rudders and the propulsion means be entirely mounted inboard.

Pump 14 is mounted in hull approximately medially between the sides ofthe hull on a suitable base B. Motor 16 on base BB is located adjacentpump 14 and provides power for the operation of the pump in eitherdirection. Desirably motor 16 is a reversely operable electric motor andmay be of the 12- or 24-volt type. Battery 18, conductor lead 20,22,motor 16 and a reversible switch 24 are inserted as schematically shownin FIG. 1.

On shaft 50 of pump 14 is a sheave 52. Motor shaft 54 has sheave 56 inline with sheave 52 and belt 58 encircles the two sheaves for powertransmission purposes. Belt 58 is likewise of the toothed variety inorder to insure a substantially positive drive medium but neverthelessto impart a certain amount of resilience in the driving means. In FIG. Ithe pump 14 and motor 16 are shown alternatively as direct connected ina coaxial manner.

Pump 14 is shown as having a rotary internal impeller 17 of the vanetype wherein the vanes are preferably rubber of Neoprene in the mostdesirable form. Such a pump accommodates foreign matter which may bedrawn into or passed through the pump as it operates in less than clearwater. In the superposed arrangement shown in FIG. 3, pump I4 is mountedon base ii, and the motor to is mounted on a second rigid base BB. Ateach side of the vessel there is an opening receiving a through-hullfitting 26 terminating Iluid duct means involved in the system. Fitting,26 is designed to accommodate the normally nonvertical sides of the hulland at the same time provide a substantially horizontal passage withrespect to the hull and to the water in which the hull is floating. Thesloping side II of bull It), as shown in FIG. 2, receives the fitting 26which has an inward extending thimble shown in greater detail in FIG. 4that is externally planted. The flanged outer end of fitting 26 isinclined relative the axis of the fitting to bear smoothly against theouter side of wall II. A mating block or sleeve 28 internal of thevessel has a flange or end to bear against the inner surface of side Ii.Internally threaded nut 29 is threadedly engaged on the sleeve offitting 26 and is tightened sufficiently to obtain a tight seal andbearing between fitting 26 and mating block 28 around the orifice inwhich this apparatus is installed.

Internal of fitting 26 is housing 30, threadedly coupled thereto asshown in FIGS. 2 and Between each of the housings Bill and either theright or the left inlet-outlet 29 of pump housing I I is a fluid conduit32. While in some installations conduit 32 may be rigidly disposedbetween the pump 14 and the housings 30,30, some installations are mostconveniently made by using flexible conduit as shown in FIG. 2. Such aflexible conduit is normally secured at its ends by clamps 31.

Inside each housing M) is a plate 34 pivoted at 36 on its upper edge andadapted to swing down against a seat 38 just inside of the outboardpassage from housing 30. Depending upon the flow of water either inwardto a housing or outward thereof, the plate is either swung upward andout of the flow path of moving water, as shown in the right of FIG. 2,or down into bearing relation on the seat 38 as in the left of FIG. 2.The action is somewhat that of a check valve. Plate 34 carries a tu'bular nozzle member 39 having an internal passage that extends from theinner surface of plate 34 to the outer end of nozzle 39. By means ofthese nozzles 39 the outward flow of water through a housing 30 isrestricted to a dimensional cross section substantially less than thepassage capacity of either the through-hull fitting 26 or of the housing30 and the conduit associated therewith.

When a plate M is swung upward as is occasioned by the inward flow ofwater through an adjacent fitting 26, there is substantially greatercapacity for water to enter the system than at the opposite side of thehull can be discharged. The result is that a back pressure is built upby reason of the restricted discharge orifice and while there is lessvolume of water being discharged, that which is being discharged is inthe form of a substantially high-pressured reaction jetstream. Sincethis discharge reaction jet passes directly into the body of water inwhich the hull is immersed, reaction forces will be applied against thehull and the same will tend to move away from the direction of thedischarging jetstream. This function is very useful in maneuvering thehull It) in the water.

In the example illustrated in FIG. 2 water is shown as being drawnthrough the inlet on the right or starboard side of the hull. Converselywater is being discharged on the left or the port side. Under suchcircumstances an operator of such a hull would find that the port-sidedischarge will give him a lateral thrust or change of direction to theright or starboard side. A reversing of the direction of flow from thatshown in FIG. 2 gives an opposite effect. It will be apparent thateffects of the type described are obtained by operating motor 16 in oneof the other of its directions of rotations.

The housings 30 connected with the through-hull fittings 26-2fi includeremovable plugs d0 so that foreign matter drawn into the system may beeasily removed in order to insure a free flow of water.

This system is particularly useful wlhen a boat is under no substantialforward draft, except possible momentum. Let us assume a situation wherea boat operator is approaching the end of a cruise and is about to dockhis vessel. He cuts his engine and thus substantially reduces theforward drive of the vessel. At the same time tends to lose his abilityto navigate because such vessel, whether or not an outboard runabout, isnormally steered by using a propeller or rudders usually not veryefficient at low speeds. At such a point in approaching a dock it isoften desirable to nudge" the bow of the hull to the port or to thestarboard in order that it can be threaded into a slip or closealongside of a dock. This is accomplished by the system described by theoperator throwing a switch 24 either to the left or the right, as hisjudgment dictates. The motor 16 will be activated and the pumping actionin pump 14 will be initiated. Let us assume that, with respect to FIG.1, he has moved the switch 24 to the port side, whereupon the motor 16will operate pump 14 in such a way that water is drawn in on the portside and a jet reaction stream of water is discharged on the starboardside. The result will be the application of reaction force to the hullof the vessel and it will move laterally or transversely of its normalforward course. Conversely, the operation may be reversed, as it will beclearly understood.

In FIG. 1, the reaction to the lateral thrust maneuvering system of thisinvention is primarily shown installed in the bow of a hull 10. Indotted lines, at the rear of the hull, a similar system 60 may also beinstalled to facilitate either almost reverse turning or completelateral movement of the hull by careful manipulation and maneuvering ofswitches controlling the doubly installed thrust systems.

What we claim is:

l. A system for laterally maneuvering a watercraft hull, comprising;

open-ended fluid duct means extending between opposite sides of a hulland having, closely adjacent each end, ajet nozzle to emit a reactionjet of water substantially horizontally outward of said hull;

a reversely operable pump medially located in said duct means to inducewater flow in either direction therethrough;

power means for said pump;

each of said nozzles being mounted to move to inoperable position uponthe occurrence in said duct means of inward flow of water relativeeither of said nozzles.

2. The combination of claim 1 in which the mount permitting movement ofeach of said nozzles comprises pivotable means.

3. The combination of claim 2 in which said pivotable means comprises aplate hinged to swing between blocking and nonblocking relation in aduct and a nozzle member extends outward lrom said plate.

4v The combination of claim 3 in which the nozzle member comprises atube having a passage cross section between about one-eighth andone-half the cross section of the related duct means.

1. A system for laterally maneuvering a watercraft hull, comprising;open-ended fluid duct means extending between opposite sides of a hulland having, closely adjacent each end, a jet nozzle to emit a reactionjet of water substantially horizontally outward of said hull; areversely operable pump medially located in said duct means to inducewater flow in either direction therethrough; power means for said pump;each of said nozzles being mounted to move to inoperable position uponthe occurrence in said duct means of inward flow of water relativeeither of said nozzles.
 2. The combination of claim 1 in which the mountpermitting movement of each of said nozzles comprises pivotable means.3. The combination of claim 2 in which said pivotable means comprises aplate hinged to swing between blocking and nonblocking relation in aduct and a nozzle member extends outward from said plate.
 4. Thecombination of claim 3 in which the nozzle member comprises a tubehaving a passage cross section between about one-eighth and one-half thecross section of the related duct means.